Behind the Crystal Part Two
by Dreamweaver1985
Summary: Sportacus and Gretchen are chasing down Drekspatz, while Stephenie and the others are left to handle things in Lazy town. But pretty soon, truths will be revealed and Stephanie will learn a life-changing secret about herself.
1. Stephanie's Farewell

Disclaimer: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving

_**Disclaimer**__: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving. This is a sequel to __Trynia Merin's Behind the Crystal. As such, all OC's belong to her_

**Behind the Crystal Part two**

_By Dreamweaver1985_

_Original concept by Trynia Merin_

_**Authors Note**__: My thanks to Trynia Merin for allowing me to write this sequel. I'm doing this first of all as a favour to her, to allow her to concentrate on her DBZ fanfics, but also as a favour to everyone out there who has read her original story and has been craving a sequel_

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Stephanie's Farewell**

Back in his airship, the first thing Sportacus did was to reprogram his crystal. 'I don't want it telling me of trouble in Lazytown if I'm going to be heck knows where' he said, seeing Gretchen watching him curiously.

'You can do that?' she asked with renewed interest. 'I knew elves where powerful, but I had no idea they could affect natural elements like that'

'Actually, crystal manipulation is an ability only Earth Elves have' Sportacus replied, placing his crystal back into its bed. 'Someone like Captain Nimrod – a Woodland Elf – Wouldn't share that ability'

Then he took Robbie's cell phone from his pocket to examine the coordinates of Professor Drekspatz's hideout.

'Looks like the Professor is making his way back to Intellectual City' Sportacus announced after examining the GPS carefully. 'It's going to take us a couple of days to get there. Would you like something to eat before we leave?' he added, hearing Gretchen's stomach give a low growl of hunger.

'Yes Please' Gretchen replied, a wide smile on her face.

Sportacus Flipped his way to his larder, calling "Table" as he went. By the time he arrived, the long, iron-board table had extended beneath. Sportacus set about making a healthy snack for the two of them.

* * *

­­­­

Meanwhile, back in Lazytown, Stephanie was at her Uncles house, trying not to think about Sportacus. Every time she thought of him, her heart broke in two. She could no longer hide the fact that she was in love with the sports elf – not even from herself – but she knew that to stop him going to rescue his friend and mentor would be selfish and irresponsible. It didn't help that, even though Sportacus and Miss Lidenbrock had left the kids more than ten minutes ago, the air ship still hung over the mayors office. She hoped they would leave soon, because it was taking all her resolve and more to resist sneaking on board and flying off with them, and she was slowly losing that battle.

Thankfully, she had her Uncle and friends to take her mind off it, which was helping a lot.

'Stephanie, come help me with this' Pixel called from the other end of the room. Stephanie wondered across to see what the fuss was about. In his hand, Pixel held a small capsule with a series of buttons on the side.

'What is that' Stephanie asked with interest and curiosity. The capsule was grey in color, and measured a palms length in size. It was transparent, allowing them to see a thick, grey mist within.

'I found it over by Robbie's Hideout. I think Professor Drekspatz might have dropped it when he flew off' Pixel dropped the capsule into his wrist-scanner, from which a Holographic, 3-D image of the capsule was projected. 'I'm performing a complete scan of the capsule to determine its make-up and contents' he continued, losing everyone with his techno-babble. Seeing the confused looks on their faces, he clarified simply 'I'm checking to see what it's made from'

'oh' the friends chorused.

While the scan took place, a whine was heard from above as Sportacus warmed up the airships engine ready for departure. The gang headed to the window to watch him leave.

- - -

After they had finished their snack, Sportacus decided it was time to leave. Packing the plates and cutlery into his dishwasher, he turned to Gretchen and said 'Could you press that little blue button on the pilot's dashboard. It'll warm the engine up ready for departure'

Gretchen turned and pressed the button as directed. As soon as she did this, the engine gave a soft whine. Sportacus commanded the larder to seal and made his way over to the pilot's seat, cell phone in hand. Leaning over, he pressed a green button on the dashboard and a computer screen rose from the ground to the right of the pilot's seat. 'This will allow me to monitor the Professors movements while I'm flying' he quickly explained to his guest. Then, flipping into the pilot's seat, he pressed the blue button a second time, bringing the airships three large, powerful propeller engines inline, and slowly brought the airship down to hover just a few feet above the ground, flying parallel to the kitchen window of the mayors house where he guessed his friends would have gone after he left them

- - -

As Stephanie and her friends stood waiting by the window, the airship finally started to move. They watched worryingly as it came lower and lower to the ground, and made its way towards them, then relaxed when they saw it turn to run parallel to the house, allowing the pilots cabin to hover at a level with the window so that Sportacus and Miss Lidenbrock could see them, and vice versa. They waved in return to Sportacus' and the teachers so long gestures, then returned to the food counter to continue watching the scan, leaving Stephanie stood by the window by herself.

As she watched the ship rising back into the air, gathering speed as it went, she felt her heart break into pieces. Shedding a single tear, she prayed quietly to the stars 'Farewell, Sportacus. Take care.' Then she realised that with Sportacus gone, her friends would look to her for protection. She knew she had to remain strong for them. Scolding herself, she forced back her tears and turned back to her friends, forced a smile, and focused all her will on helping her friends. She would have plenty of time to cry later, when her friends went home and she was able to shut herself away in her room.

**Well, that's chapter one over and done with. Next chapter in progress**


	2. Hidden Things Revealed

Disclaimer: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving

_**Disclaimer**__: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving. This is a sequel to __Trynia Merin's Behind the Crystal. As such, all OC's belong to her_

**Behind the Crystal Part Two**

_By Dreamweaver1985_

_Original Concept by __Trynia Merin_

_**A/N:**__ from this chapter on, all thoughts – as well as any potential occurrences of Telepathic communication – will be written in italic._

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Hidden Things Revealed**

Stephanie returned to the counter, where Pixel was still scanning the professor's capsule. The readouts went by too quickly for her to read, but every now and then she caught the words 'NOT RECOGNISED', which even she knew wasn't good.

'What is it?' she asked the Pixel, with curious interest. The gizmo guy entered new commands into the scanner, then turned to Stephanie and replied, 'I don't know. It seems to be similar to the mist we were caught in over the weekend' A mixture of frustration and perplexity crossed his face. 'But the scanner can't identify the composites parts.'

Pixel pressed another button, and the 3-D holo-display withdrew into the scanner as it powered down. 'I'm gonna have to go to my house so I can compare them to my computers databases and the internet. You guys wanna come?' he asked, turning to Ziggy, Stingy and Trixie, who all nodded yes. Then he turned to Stephanie. 'What about you, Pinkie?' He asked, using her pen-name, which was unusual for Pixel.

Stephanie hesitated, trying to decide if she was up for it. In the resulting silence, the pain of Sportacus' absence rose within her again, stinging her heart and soul. Finally, she decided 'Nah. I think I just need to rest, you know. It's been a long day, and I really don't feel up to doing much right now.'

With an understanding nod, Pixel made for the door, indicating the others to follow. Stephanie turned sadly to watch her friends leave, struggling to hide the pain she felt within herself. Outside, Pixel turned back for one last look at his friend - her face hanging low against her chest in an effort to hide her face – before pulling the door slowly and quietly closed.

Stephanie heard the door click into place, locking out the world or – from her point of view – locking her away from the world. Left alone, Stephanie felt a warm, salty tear trickle down her cheek. Wiping it away, she scolded herself again, re-strengthened her resolve, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

Sportacus glanced at the monitor to check on the Professor's progress. According to the GPS, Drekspatz had just entered German airspace and was quickly headed inland toward Intellectual City.

Sportacus noticed the clock display in the corner of the GPS locator, which read '19:30 EST'. 'We better find somewhere to pitch up for the night' he said to Gretchen, who was attempting to perform some power lifts on Sportacus' hanging trapeze bar. 'Here!' he called suddenly, locating a small island to the west of their location.

'Can you… hear…that rushing…sound?' Gretchen asked, gasping for breath from the strenuous activity.

'I've got mail?' Sportacus questioned, confused that he should get mail this far out. He brought the ship to a halt, then pushed himself away from the pilots seat and up into a triple back-flip, landing smoothly before the mail tube dispenser, which spat the mail tube into his hand. He pulled out the letter, which read:

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_Please help us! Our island – Aquatic isle – has been covered by a mysterious mist which is causing everyone here to become slow, sluggish and sleepy. I don't know what to do._

_Yours,_

_The Mayor_

Gretchen dropped down from the trapeze and staggered across to him. 'What's happened?' She asked. She read the letter over Sportacus' shoulder and said 'I know Aquatic Isle. I have friends there'

'I don't like it,' the sports elf replied exasperatedly, 'but I have to help them. To ignore a cry for help – for whatever reason – goes against not just the hero's code, but also everything that I stand for.' He rushed over to the monitor to locate Aquatic Isle. 'Luckily, we were headed that way anyway.'

Feeling emphatic towards the sports elf, Gretchen walked up behind him, and gave him an encouraging kiss on the cheek. With a frustrated sigh, Sportacus jumped back into his seat, brought the propeller engines back inline, and continued on to the island with as much speed as he could muster.

* * *

Stephanie returned from the bathroom wearing her nightgown, her already bright pink hair shining brighter than usual. Grabbing her hairbrush, she walked over to her mirror-desk and ran it through her still wet hair, drawing out the knots. Then she brushed her teeth (sadly singing the Twenty Times song in her head), washed out her mouth and crossed to her bed to write the days entry into her diary. When she came to write about Sportacus, she stopped. It hurt her even to write about her love interest, but all the same, she forced herself painfully to complete the entry. Then, unable to hold them back any longer, she pulled the covers up over her head, lay down and cried into her pillow. By 8:08, she was fast asleep and dreaming fitfully, tears still streaming down her face.

- - -

Pixel checked the last piece of the capsule against the internet, unable to find it on her databases.

'I think I've got it!' he cried at last. Double-checking to confirm his suspicions, he continued 'It IS similar to the mist from the weekend. Only it's much worse.'

'What do you mean 'worse'?' asked a suddenly worried Trixie.

'What I mean is, anyone who inhales this mist will fall into a coma-like sleep, from which not even sports candy can wake them'

'You can come up with something to reverse it, can't you?' asked Stingy, uncharacteristically concerned.

'I think so. But I think it should wait till morning. It's almost 8:00, and I think we should head to our homes and get ready for bed and get some sleep. Stephanie's right. It's been a long day'

His friends nodded in agreement, and Trixie led the gang out into the street, where they split up and went into their respective homes.

Alone in his room, Pixel was left to his thoughts. When he'd looked back at Stephanie, he'd suddenly felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, something akin to butterflies. Now as he brushed his teeth - thinking briefly and unintentionally of the Twenty Times song, to his amusement - and preparing for bed, he was running through calculations and formulas in an attempt to put a name to this feeling. The last shocking thought he had as tiredness overcame him was that he was falling in love with Stephanie. _Preposterous! _He thought to himself. _Everyone can tell she's in love with Sportacus. _Soon, he too was asleep and dreaming fitfully.

- - -

Sportacus arrived over the island, and he and Gretchen saw immediately the extent of the mist's reach. As soon as they saw this, Sportacus' quick-thinking mind came up with the only plausible solution.

Bringing the ship down into the eye of the mist, he brought the propellers to bear, turned them up to full power, and set the ship into an axis spin, using the engines to blow the mist out to sea to dissipate. He used his crystal to monitor his progress.

When he was confident that the last of the mist had dissipated, he slowed the ship to a halt and jumped out of his seat, flipping and somersaulting his way to the bed at the back of his room. Pushing it open, he brought out two large, wicker baskets, and handed one to Gretchen saying 'Fill this up with as much sports candy as you can.' Once both baskets were full to bursting, Sportacus beckoned Gretchen over to a short fire-mans pole in the center of the ship. 'Platform Down' he called in a commanding voice. The floor beneath them obediently dropped slowly away from the belly of the ship to become a second viewing platform. Then he looked back up into the ship and, in the same commanding voice, called 'Ladder' and climbed down the rope ladder that had appeared. Then he called to Gretchen to drop her basket – which he caught easily –and climb down after him

Quickly locating the Mayors office, he ran across and was pleased to see the mayor wide awake waiting outside. After brief introductions, he gave his basket to the mayor, and indicated for Gretchen to drop hers at his feet. 'Hand these out to everyone who was affected by the mist' he instructed the mayor, who summoned a small group of strong young men and repeated the instructions to them.

'Almost 8:08' Sportacus said quietly to Gretchen, glancing at his wristwatch. 'We'd better get back to the airship.'

Back on board, Sportacus performed some more exercises, encouraging Gretchen to do the same – though she gave up after five push-ups, proud just to have achieved that. Then he jumped to his feet – helping Gretchen to hers – and said 'You can use my bed during your stay. Bed!' he added, speaking to the airship. He walked over to the bed with Gretchen and pulled the covers up to make sure she was comfortable, kissing her goodnight in the process. Then he walked back to the middle of the room and called 'Futon!' A large floor mattress dropped down from a hidden department in the roof and, pulling a spare set of covers from a second storeroom, he laid down to sleep.

Laying in the silence, hypnotised by Gretchen's slow, rhythmic breathing, Sportacus thought about all the strange events over the weekend – both big and small. As his eyes grew heavy, he realised – with a shock –the reason why Stephanie had suddenly started acting so shy and embarrassed around him recently. _Could she have fallen in love with me? _He asked himself. He prayed to the earth that it was just a side effect of his elven charm, because if she was in love with him, he would have to let her down gently or risk expulsion from the association. Soon both he and Gretchen – like their friends in Lazytown – were fast asleep and dreaming fitfully.

**Ok. Next chapter, I'll introduce a (sort of) new character (I hope). Just a quick note: Not sure if there is a forum discussion on this, but has anyone ever noticed that Stephanie is the only child in Lazytown with a parental figure (IE: her uncle)? Where are the 'rents of the other kids? If there is a forum board for this, can someone please let me know?**


	3. New Acquaintances

Disclaimer: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving

_Disclaimer: Lazytown belongs to Lazytown Inc and was created by Magnus Scheving. This is a sequel to __Trynia Merin's Behind the Crystal. As such, all OC's belong to her_

**Behind the Crystal Part Two**

_By Dreamweaver1985_

_Original Concept by __Trynia Merin_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**New Acquaintances**

At sunrise, Sportacus woke up to find his bed empty and stowed. The sound of running water drew his attention, and he guessed that Gretchen was taking a shower. He opened the door slightly and called 'There are some fresh clothes hanging on the door'. Then he followed this by hanging some clothes he had grabbed on his way through onto the back of the door.

While he waited for Gretchen to wash and dress, he performed a few exercises suggested by the Sports Spinner. Five minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Gretchen stepped out, fully clothed.

'Wow!' Sportacus said, dumbfounded 'You look great'. Gretchen had ignored the sports clothes Sportacus had hung on the door in lieu of a full length, low cut red dress that revealed a body that was becoming more slender by the day. The hem stopped at the knees, showing off her long, smooth, graceful legs. On her feet she wore a pair of black, high-heeled shoes that had the effect of adding a few inches to her already impressive height.

'I decided to do some shopping this morning' she replied shyly. 'Believe it or not, the shops open real early here.' Then she looked down at the dress, her cheeks glowing with embarrassment, as pink as Stephanie's hair. Pinker! If that was even possible. 'I never thought in a million years I would ever be wearing something like this'

'Well, it's not really exercise material, but you could do a few stretches in it. I'm gonna go shower and change' Sportacus said, completely oblivious to the hidden agenda behind Gretchen's attempt to impress him. Feeling demoralized, Gretchen turned away from Sportacus' back as he entered the bathroom and replied 'OK. I'll do my best.

Ten minutes later, Sportacus returned from the bathroom washed and freshly clothed. He set about making some breakfast, noting that Gretchen had changed into the Sports kit he'd left her earlier. 'You didn't have to change on my account' he said to her. She turned in shock, not realizing he had gotten back from his shower.

'Well, I can't get in and out of the ship wearing a dress now, can I?' she lied, making an effort to look happy.

Just then, Sportacus' crystal began beeping frantically. 'Some-ones in trouble!' he cried. Grabbing his telescope, he launched into a double forward-flip, calling out 'Door!' He landed perfectly before the opening viewing platform and ran to the end, sitting to look through the spyglass.

Sportacus, confused, walked back into the ship, looking back to make sure the platform stayed open. 'I can't see the problem' he said, walking over to his sports store. 'I'd better go and investigate'

Grabbing a long bungee cord, he returned to the platform and attached the metal hook to the end. Then he lowered his goggles over his eyes, wrapped the cord around his feet, and jumped head-first from the platform.

Quickly locating the Mayors house, he was pleased to see the mayor waiting outside as he approached, accompanied by some of his charges. 'My crystal beeped!' He called out to the mayor. 'What's the problem?'

'We administered the – what was it – the 'Sports Candy' to those who were asleep, but nothing seems to have changed'

'What!' Sportacus exclaimed, puzzled. He looked through the windows of some of the houses, then returned to the mayor. 'Your right. They're all still fast asleep'

Unable to work out what had gone wrong, Sportacus decided he would have to see if a solution revealed itself. Turning to the mayor, he said 'I really can't work out what went wrong. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do' Then he turned and headed back towards the airship.

'Wait! Where are you going?' the mayor called stopping Sportacus in his tracks. The sports elf turned back to the mayor and, sweeping his hand over the town, replied 'I'm going after the creep that did this. He kidnapped a very close friend of mine, and I intend to save him.' With that, he continued on his way, calling 'Ladder!' as he went. As he climbed, he yelled out 'Platform Down!' Once he'd reached the top, the ladder retracted and – at his command – the platform raised Sportacus into the belly of the ship.

The people of Aquatic Isle watched in awe as the blue airship turned and rushed off to who knew where.

* * *

In Lazytown, Stephanie had gathered her friends for a game of soccer, with her in goal. She had decided that morning, as she woke from a restless sleep, that she would concentrate her thoughts on her friends, but even as she was playing, she could feel thoughts of Sportacus at the back of her mind. This was made evident to her friends by the fact that she was allowing every other shot to hit the back of the net, and she knew this, but she couldn't help it.

'What's that?' Stephanie asked, looking to the sky and allowing yet another goal as a strange, musical sound filled the air. In the distance, a figure could be seen heading in their direction, surfing in mid-air on what seemed to be a misshapen surfboard. As the figure drew closer, the friends could see that the Surfboard was actually an electric guitar, green in color, which was playing that strange musical note they had heard. A chorus of 'Who's that?' and 'I wonder what he wants?' ran among the children of Lazytown as the mysterious figure landed softly before Milfords house, the long note climaxing to an end with a flourish.

'Why don't you go and ask him?' Pixel said, turning to Stephanie.

'What? Me?' Stephanie replied, realizing that Pixel was directing his question at her. 'Why me? Why can't one of you go?'

'Well' Pixel returned. 'A few reasons, really. One, your better at this sort of thing. Two, you seem to get on best with every hero that comes to Lazytown. And three, you're the only one here that better represents what Lazytown is all about.' An argument broke out among the friends as to who should go, with Stephanie trying to delegate the job to one of the others, and the others all insisting that Stephanie was the best girl for the job. After a short shuffle, Stephanie reluctantly agreed. 'OK, OK. I'll go. But you lot owe me.'

Stephanie approached the stranger, who turned to see the approaching welcome party. 'Hi!' Stephanie said, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with the visitor, and holding out her hand for him to shake. 'I'm Stephanie Brown. And these are my friends, Pixel' she continued, indicating the gizmo guy. Then turning to the rest in turn, introduced 'Ziggy, Stingy and Trixie. On behalf of my Uncle, The Mayor Milford Meanswell, We'd like to welcome you to Lazytown'

'Why thank you, Stephanie. My name is Sonar.' The visitor – Sonar – replied. Hearing his soft, sweet voice, Stephanie completely forgot her attempts and finally made eye contact. As soon as she had done this, a warm, happy feeling entered her mind and ran straight through her body and – for the first time since the day before – all thoughts of Sportacus were forgotten. Then the feeling faded and everything went back to normal, thoughts and all, leaving Stephanie with a confused, curious look. _What was that? _She asked herself mentally, and then pushed the thought out of her mind.

'Erm…Er… How…how can we help you, Sonar?' Stephanie asked out loud, stuttering.

'Well, I was hoping to find my sister. I was told she started a teaching post here. Perhaps you know her. Her name is Gretchen Lidenbrock' with that, the friends exchanged looks of surprise.

'YOUR Miss Lidenbrock's Brother?' Stephanie asked

'Yes' Sonar replied, a glad smile spreading from cheek to cheek at having found that his sister had indeed been here, and had even thought to mention him. 'Heinrich's the name. Heinrich Otto Von Lidenbrock.'

Stephanie and the gang took a moment to look at Sonar's costume. He wore a sky blue tee, over which was a sleeveless white jacket similar to Sportacus', and a pair of matching white jogger bottoms, both of which appeared to be made of a thin polymer material. On his feet, he wore a pair of sunset-colored, knee-length boots. His jacket was clasped with a sky-blue badge bearing the number 15 in bold numerals, behind which, Stephanie was sure, lay a crystal to warn Heinrich of trouble.

'Is that polymer?' Stephanie asked, her curious self again for the first time since the Sports elf left.

'No.' Sonar replied. 'It's cloud. Go ahead, feel it.' Sonar invited the friends, seeing the disbelieving looks on their faces. The gang put their hands to the material. The material felt fluffy and damp under their fingertips, proving that Sonar wasn't lying about the cloud thing. Suddenly, they pulled back their hands as sparks of static electricity leapt from the material, shocking them. 'Oops. Sorry' Sonar apologised with an embarrassed giggle. 'It doesn't usually do that unless I command it to. So!' he continued, 'Any idea where I can find my sister?'

'Oh. You mean you really don't know?' Stephanie asked him. The confused, worried look on the hero's face confirmed this was true, and Stephanie continued 'She went with Sportacus. Captain Nimrod was captured by his nemesis, and she went with Sportacus to help rescue him.'

'I see.' Sonar replied, clearly vexed. Though whether this was aimed at her sister, for putting herself in danger, or at the Hero's association for not informing him of this development, was difficult to tell. 'Well, I guess you could use an interim hero while Sportacus is away. Is there anywhere I can stay while I'm here?'

'You could stay in Miss Liden… I mean, your sister's house' Stephanie replied. 'It's just round the corner from mine and my Uncles.' Taking the temporary town hero by the hand, Stephanie led him past her Uncle's house to the absent teachers new home.

* * *

On the airship, Sportacus was peddling like the wind to cover the ground they had lost during the night. Looking up at the screen for the first time since they had left Aquatic Isle, Sportacus was surprised to see that Professor Drekspatz had completely bypassed Intellectual City, and was last spotted landing on the western outskirts in a little town called Sloth City.

'Looks like a long journey ahead' Gretchen observed, pointing out the obvious. 'Why don't we get to know each other a bit more?'

'Nah. You don't wanna know about me. Besides, it would take too long.' Sportacus replied defensively.

'Come on, we've got a few hours!' Gretchen retaliated, smiling broadly. 'You aren't hiding anything from me, are you?'

Sighing with defeat, Sportacus hung his head in thought. 'Alright' he said eventually, 'I'll tell you my story. But I warn you, it's not that exciting'

Looking down at his crystal, he focused his powers on getting it to show images to go along with his story as he told it. The crystal glowed bright blue, and a beam of light projected from it, displaying the first image…

* * *

**Well, I managed to introduce the new hero. I hope you enjoy this chapter. In the next one, I'm gonna take a break from the main plot and write a little interlude.**


	4. Interlude: A Painful Past

Disclaimer: Lazytown belong to Lazytown Inc, and was created by Magnus Scheving. This is a sequel to Trynia Merin's Behind the Crystal. As such, all OC's belong to her.

**Behind the Crystal Part Two**

_**A/N**__: This chapter will be a glimpse at a major point in the lives of Sportacus and at least one other character. __**Additional: **__The name 'Johayin' used in this chapter is to be pronounced 'yo HAY in'_

**Chapter Four**

**Interlude: A Painful Past**

Ithrottaalfurin pushed open the earthen door of the sett that – like all his people – was home to him and his family, which had been pure earth until it was magickally hardened æons ago by one of his ancestors. He threw a sack of clean clothes onto the hard ground, then leapt athletically after it. He wore what was to become his trademark costume, minus the number 10 on his clasp. The lining of all his clothes was threaded with gold and silver; colors he had come to love over the years of his short life.

It was just starting to dawn, and, as he did every morning, Ithro looked up at the towering form of Mount Gaia - the dormant volcano which dwarfed everyone on the Isla De Incendia – and watched the sun rise behind her peak. After some exercise and stretching, during which he watched an airship pass overhead in the glare of the rising sun, he pulled a robe from the sett and made his way to the nearby hot spring to bath and wash the clothes he wore, closing the door quietly behind him

An hour later (after working on his swimming and diving skills), Ithro returned to the sett, wearing the clean clothes from the sack (which looked exactly like the ones he's worn before his bath), and placed the robe and freshly-washed clothes into his wardrobe. Then he climbed back to the surface and ran to the small hut nearby which housed his father's blacksmith business. Unlocking the door, he entered the hut without waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within, walked to the furnace and lit the forging fire. He had been watching the fire for mere minutes, hypnotized by the dancing and roaring of the growing flames, when he heard a distant voice call out 'Isaac!.' Recognizing the use of his human name, Ithro activated his power to hide the obvious elven attributes inherent in his race. Then he turned to identify the caller…and with sudden haste, whipped off his hat, revealing the rest of his long, dark hair, and blushed deeply as he stood before the increasingly hot furnace.

Approaching the hut, her long, golden hair shining brightly in the morning light, was a girl Ithro had known almost as long as his ears were pointed.

'Hi, Isaac', the girl said in greeting as she got closer. She wore a New York Knicks t-shirt with the name and number of her favorite player on the back, a pair of white, knee-length shorts and plain sandals. Her waist-length hair was plaited into a ponytail at her back. 'How are you today?' she asked politely.

Finding his voice fast, Ithro stuttered, just as politely 'I - I'm, uh, fine th-thanks, Chelle' using the short form of the girl's name, Rochelle. She and her family – Parents, Michael and Elizabeth Rothen, and her younger brother Robert – had a holiday home in one of the nearby towns, which they used seven times a year – family birthdays, summer and winter solstice, and Christmas. Ithro had developed a friendship with the Rothen's over the years, particularly Chelle, with whom he related better than anyone, and could often be seen playing with her and her brother when they visited. 'Uh, what brings you to my father's workshop at so early an hour?' Ithro continued, curiosity overcoming his other emotions.

'Well, my folks are taking us all out for a picnic later for my fourteenth birthday, and as your celebrating your 14th today as well, I wondered…' Chelle seemed to struggle with her unfinished question, becoming suddenly coy, almost visibly nervous. After a few, seemingly infinite – from her point of view – seconds, she gave a heavy, self-encouraging sigh, and continued 'Well…I wondered if you, um, would like to-to join me? US! Join, um, us? On our picnic.' she corrected anxiously

'Of course, I'd love to!' Ithro replied, excited at the prospect of spending his birthday with other people for a change, instead of on his own like he usually did. 'What time is it?'

'We leave at nine, and the picnic itself starts at eleven' Chelle replied. Then she skipped off, calling excitedly as she went 'meet at my place!' With that, she was gone, leaving a happy Ithro to wake his Father in time for work.

At five minutes to nine, Ilthro stood on the Rothen's doorstep, holding some home-made chocolate-chip cookies, which Rochelle had said were the best that her and her family had ever tasted. He enforced the pseudo-image that he'd worn earlier, before knocking on the door.

When the door opened a minute later, Ithro found himself face-to-face with a completely different Chelle. She had ditched the clothes she'd worn earlier, in favor of a sea-blue, off-the shoulder top with gold and silver sequins, a matching, above the knee skirt with the sequins in the hem, and a pair of silver, high-heeled sandals. She also wore a pair of golden, jeweled earrings (she had gotten her ears pierced as an early birthday present, before her parents had brought them for her annual birthday holiday), and her hair now hung loose and curled at her waist. Chelle watched Ithro seeming to look her up and down for a full minute before realizing that he was checking out her clothes.

'Oh. These were a birthday gift from my parents. I thought I would break them in' she informed Ithro, mistaking his dumfounded stare for one of surprised curiosity.

'Um, you look very…pretty' Ithro replied weakly. If he hadn't already fallen for her personality, Ithro would have found himself drawn unavoidably by her enhanced figure, from which – despite himself – he now struggled to tear his eyes.

'Good morning, Isaac!' Chelle's father called as the rest of her family appeared behind her, offering their own waves or nods of greeting. 'Right, is everyone ready?' More nods, this time of confirmation from Ithro and Chelle, who leaned behind the doors and returned with a hiking pack. 'Let's go then' Michael finished, mirroring his daughter to produce a large wicker basket packed with picnic goodies. Elizabeth went behind the door herself and produced a second pack filled with Chelle's birthday presents. Ilthro and Chelle hooked their arms together as she stepped out of the house, and led the way to the park.

Ithro and Rochelle sat cross-legged on the grass, watching the game of Frisbee that rob and his parents had just started nearby. Chelle had already shown Ithro the presents from the second pack – which including two expensive neckchains, one with her first name, and the other with two 'R's set in a mirror effect – so while they watched, they talked.

'So, what's it like in New York?' Ithro asked.

'You mean you've never been to America!' Chelle asked, shocked.

'I've never traveled off this island' Ithro replied. 'Never had a reason'

'You've no idea what you're missing!' Chelle exclaimed, skin glowing as she warmed to the subject. 'New York is great! There's the New York Knicks – only the greatest team on the planet – and video arcades, and late night movie theaters that show the best movies, and shopping malls filled with the best shops, and…and…'

'Whoa!' Ithro interrupted. 'Slow down, will you. I can't keep up.'

Chelle chuckled quietly. 'Sorry' she said. 'I tend to babble when I'm nervous'

'Why would you be nervous?' Ithro asked with genuine curiosity.

Chelle looked up. Her ocean blue eyes, openly betraying her cool exterior with the fear and anxiety she was feeling, drilled passionately into Itrho's cool sky blues, and Ithro felt himself being drawn into hers. 'Because of this', Chelle replied softly as she leaned in towards Ithro, tilting her head slightly as the glow around her seemed to change – intensify - before Ithro's closing eyes as he mirrored her, leaning his own head to his right. Their lips met in mid-air, and before they knew what was happening, they kissed.

The kiss seemed to last…forever. But only minutes later, they reluctantly parted lips. Ithro managed to focus enough to re-enforce his pseudo-image - which had slipped in the heat of the moment – before Chelle opened her eyes. Chelle was positively radiating, and Ithro now had a glow of his own to rival hers.

They sat in silence, with barely contained joy, reeling from the thrill of loves first kiss. After what seemed like ages, Chelle turned back to Ithro, avoiding eye contact lest they fall back to kissing, and said 'I think I'm gonna go for a swim. Care to join me?' she asked, jumping to her feet. 'I've got a spare swim suit in the bag'

'Uh, no thanks' Ithro replied climbing to his own feet. 'I think I'm gonna join in the game', he finished, pointing vaguely in the direction of the Frisbee game still taking place nearby.

'Suit yourself, Isaac Manwell' Chelle said. She kicked off her sandals, picked them up with her pack, and ran to the park toilets to change. Ithro ran in the opposite direction, catching the Frisbee as he went and tossing it gently to Rob (who after all, was only six). When next he caught it, he looked up in time to see Chelle returning from the toilets, dressed in a dark blue all-in-one swimsuit, the decorative sequins replaced by hundreds of small, printed gold and silver dots, and head towards the islands surrounding ocean (being part of a coastal town, the park had steps leading down onto the beach).

As he caught the Frisbee ten minutes later, Ithro looked out to the ocean to check on Chelle…and his arm froze mid-air. He couldn't see her anywhere in the water. Then her gold-crowned head broke the surface, a small dot on the horizon as she struggled to stay afloat, before sinking back down to the depths of the ocean. 'Rochelle's in trouble!' he called as he ran onto the beach and towards the oceans edge. He could hear the airship he'd seen earlier approaching quickly in the distance, and knew that the superhero pilot was answering the call for help that must surely have come from Chelle in the few moments when her head periodically appeared above the water.

Ithro was just about to dive into the water to try and rescue Chelle, guided by his emotions, when the Islands resident hero, Captain Nimrod, landed beside him, Throwing out an arm to stop him.

'We have to save her, Nimrod!' Ithro cried fearfully, eyes silently pleading with his idol.

'Do not let your emotions guide you, Ithro' the captain gently scolded. 'Your friend and love is caught in a severe riptide. If you or I were to try and save her, we would lose not only her life, but ours too, and our efforts would have been in vain.'

'But...'

'It's unfortunate', Nimrod continued 'but there is nothing we can do to help her'. As he spoke, Chelle's head appeared once more on the horizon, then sank again.

Ithro watched for her to re-surface, filled with guilt and pain and the overwhelming need to dive in and save her, regardless of the consequences. But she never came back up.

As soon as the riptide died, the captain dived in, carrying the mutual but vain hope that Chelle was still alive under the water. He searched as much of the ocean as he could, but when an hour passed with no result, they were all forced to assume that she had been swept away to sea, and was most likely dead as a result. Ithro wanted to scream. He wanted to cry out and curse the gods for taking her away so soon after their first kiss. But he knew that the Rothen's were suffering the greater loss of a loving daughter and caring sister. So for their sake, he swallowed his pain and anger, and went to the grieving family around him to provide friendly comfort and support. He would have time to cry for his own loss later, when he could lock himself away in his room and hide under the covers.

Hours later, Ithro finally slid down into his sett, hoping to go straight to his room, and landed before his parents – his Mother, Merin, and Father, Johayin – who had been waiting for him to return. 'We need to talk' Johayin said, and both he and Merin signaled for him to follow, unusually stern, then turned and led the way to the main study. Ithro followed cautiously, worried by the seriousness etched on his parents wizened features, then waited a safe distance away when they stopped at the wooden table in the centre of the room.

'Is it true, what we've heard, Ithrottaalfurin. That you have fallen in love with a human? Johayin asked after a brief pause. With that question, all the rules Ithro's parents had forced onto him came rushing back, and he suddenly felt rebellious. 'Yes', he replied confidently. 'And…?'

'I knew we should never have let him socialize with humans for pleasure' Merin said quietly to her husband.

Johayin raised a hand to hush her. ' How many times have we told you that you cannot form a relationship with humans, son?' he asked, turning back to Ithro. 'You know that elves can live for centuries, even millennia, while human lives are short and fleeting.'

'I can't help the way I feel!' Ithro replied, appalled by his parents behavior. 'For all my powers, I can't control love. No-one can. Love can strike you when you least expect it and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.'

'Well, it's such a shame things turned out this way' said Merin. 'It makes it all the harder to handle this.' Johayin held out the letter he'd been hiding, which he'd unrolled while Ithro had been with the Rothen's, comforting them. Ithro took the letter and read:

_Dear Ithrottaalfurin,_

_You have been under our observation for some time, while we determined if you have what it takes to join our ranks. Your action on a number of occasions, and your reported determination to risk your own life on this day for that of another, have led us to believe that you have the natural drive and instinct to help and protect the people around you, both friend and stranger._

_Therefore, we hereby cordially invite you to attend the renowned Heroes Academy, and begin your training to serve as an active hero on a worldwide scale, helping those in need_

_We look forward to receiving your reply._

_Captain Nimrod and the Heroes Association_

Ithro re-read the letter several times over with increasing excitement, then asked 'Is this for real?'

'Of course it's for real!' his parents replied, gaping with increasing ire. 'Your not seriously thinking of accepting, are you?' asked Merin.

'Of course I am' Ithro answered, shocked that his mother would ask such a question. 'How could I not? This is everything I've ever dreamed of.'

'But the blacksmiths' Johayin exclaimed. 'You've been training so hard to succeed me.'

'Because you almost never let me live my own life' Ithro returned. 'I was lucky to be allowed time with the Rothen's, and I had to work hard just to get that much.'

'The Heroes Association has caused our family nothing but trouble' Merin reminded him.

'No, Mother. They've caused you nothing but trouble' Ithro corrected her. 'Look, you clearly have some kind of vendetta against the H.A., which started before I was even born. Whatever it is you have against them, the problems are your's, not mine.'

'How dare you?' Johayin seethed.

'Father, when you were my age, you would totally have accepting this invitiation without a seconds thought.' Ithro commented

'No I wouldn't, son, because I'm no hero' Johayin countered.

'Yes, you are, Father' Ithro responded. 'I've seen you, in the hut, every time you hear someone scream, or call for help, you tense up in preparation for a daring rescue.'

'You can't do this' Johayin said, quietly angry, and Merin nodded agreement.

'Let me tell you what I did today' Ithro raged. 'I spend the last three hours at the Rothen's house, comforting them and helping them to pack, while wishing I could break down and cry myself, after we watched my girlfriend drown and disappear in the ocean out west, all just minutes after we shared our first kiss! So don't tell me what I can't do!'

Silence followed this earnest speech. But instead of the desired effect of inspiring defeat, the mention of the kiss only enraged his parents beyond breaking point.

'**YOU WILL PROMISE NOT TO ACCEPT THIS INVITATION TO JOIN THE HEROES ACADEMY!' **Johayin shouted**, **angrily storming away from the table and pushing his face right up into his sons.

The sudden outburst and rash movement rocked Ithro to the core, but he stood his ground, coolly kept his eyes locked onto his fathers grass green ones the whole time. They stood and stared seething at each other, both too stubborn to back down. But Ithro, being the more sensible of the two men, discreetly slipped his hands into his pockets, crossed his fingers and, with forced composure, said 'Fine. I promise.'

Then his parents stood straight - Merin with her hands clasped before her, and Johayin with his behind his back – which Ithro took to be an indication that he could leave. He walked quickly out of the study, and when he was sure that no reproach was forthcoming, he ran the rest of the way to his room. Once there, he locked his door, changed into his night-clothes (a pair of gold pyjamas), and dived under the covers of his bed, planting his face into his pillow to finally release the tears that had been threatening to pour forth since the argument with his parents had begun.

Late that night, with his parents fast asleep, Ithrottaalfurin had snuck out of the sett wearing a darker set of clothes than usual to avoid being noticed by any night-time strollers, and stood before one of the many mail launchers the H.A. had placed all over the island, which was just outside the town where the Rothen's were staying. He took a clear, plastic tube from Chelle's hiking pack – which her parents had given to him as a reminder, and a gift for being the only person on the island to have befriended her and Robert when they first came to the island (In fact, even to the end, Ithro was the only friend Chelle had on the island) – inside which was a letter of acceptance containing instructions for the Heroes association not to write back, as he didn't want his parents knowing he'd accepted, and to pick him up from town early in the morning, so that he could leave without their knowledge. Dropping the tube into the launcher, he pulled and released the lever to launch it, then watched as it flew quickly to Nimrods airship, high up in the clouds. Then he turned and entered the town, pulling out an enveloped letter addressed to the Rothen's offering final heartfelt consolations for their loss, and explaining that he was going away and may not be coming back. He considered waking them and handing the letter to them personally, but decided that they would need all the sleep they could get – especially young Rob – before they flew home the next day to arrange Rochelle's memorial service (with no body, they couldn't give her the cremation she so desired in life). So instead he posted it through the door and walked quietly back to the sett to change and return to bed before his parents had time to notice he had left.

He would spend all the next day working in the hut with his father, explaining the Rothen's return to New York, to avoid raising his parents suspicion, and the next night while they slept, packing his bags in preparation for the twelve hour flight to the academy the following morning (he'd found the instructions when he'd carefully reread the letter the night of the accident, saying that he would be picked up the day after they received his acceptance, which Nimrod left the next morning to deliver).

Two days after the accident, Ithro looked out of the window of the passenger airship that had picked him up shortly before dawn, as it made its final approach to the large, white-walled academy castle. Nearly seven hours into the flight, Ithro had received air mail from his parents saying that they had discovered his betrayal, and would no longer be welcomed into the sett, which anyway had been made invisible to him.

As he disembarked with the other new students (human and elf alike), the academy's great oak doors slowly opened, and a man wearing full length golden robes, his hood lowered, walked out through them with his arms held wide in an encompassing welcome gesture. Following him similarly dressed in white robes, was Captain Nimrod, who had requested permission to remain at the academy so that he could personally oversee Ithro's training.

Ensuring he had everyone's undivided attention, the golden-robed man enhanced his voice, and called out 'Welcome. As my golden robes – hopefully – signify, I am the principle here at the academy. My name is Shoka, and by now I expect some of you – especially the elves among you – will have recognized that I am a Halfling: the result of an elf forming relations with a human. Now, I am not a huge fan of long, first-day welcome lectures, and I'm sure none of you wish to stand through one, so I'll simply say; Welcome to the Heroes Academy!…'

* * *

'…Welcome to the Heroes Academy!' came Shoka's voice through the holo-image, as he turned and led the students into the castle atrium, raising his hood as he went. Then Sportacus' crystal dimmed, and the image faded.

Gretchen asked the first question that came to mind, which happened to be 'What happened to the Rothen's?'

'I don't know' Sportacus answered. 'After they flew back to New York, I never saw or heard from them again. I wouldn't even know what they looked like today.'

'But you never found Rochelle's body' Gretchen realized. 'Surely that means there's a chance she survived?'

'I doubt it. Our oceans could get pretty ferocious at the best of times. Even a swimmer as strong as Rochelle wouldn't be able to survive that' Sportacus informed her.

Gretchen opened her mouth to speak, then realized that she was out of questions. So instead, she headed to the back of the ship to do some exercises, mulling over the puzzle that the name Rothen sounded awfully familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Meanwhile, in his underground lair, Robbie sat in his orange armchair – having been released from jail on probation - looking at a picture framed in a gold-plated, wooden frame he'd received for his seventh birthday. The subject of the picture was a young girl, around fourteen years old, wearing a sea blue, off-the-shoulder top, decorated with gold and silver sequins, and a pair of gold jeweled earrings partially hidden beneath her golden, curled hair. _You died doing what you loved, Rochelle – Staying fit and active. _He thought. _So in fear, I took the one path you tried so hard to keep me from. I became lazy, sluggish and greedy. But still I always think of you, and miss you like I'd miss my own heart, such as it is. _With his prayers completed, Robbie replaced the picture on its stand, turned over in the chair, and drifted off to sleep, a rare tear springing unbidden from his eye.

* * *

**That's the interlude finished. I hope to bring a few more interludes into the story, and bring it full circle. Here's hoping. Next chapter in progress**


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